Great times all around! Our new graduates participated in the “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo”

Hello, everyone!

We are Saito and Hisamitsu from Public Relations Div. Social Relations Dept. Group 1, and Tomita from Group 3. We joined SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP in April of 2024. 

On May 23, 2024, the “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo” was held in Marunouchi, Tokyo!

As first-year graduates, we also participated as runners, so we’d like to share our experience!

The “Bloomberg Square Mile Relay” is a corporate relay race held in the financial districts of 13 cities worldwide, including London, Dubai, New York, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

This year, the first host city was Tokyo! Each team consists of 10 members, and each runner runs 1 mile (1.6 km), competing for the fastest total time over 10 miles (16 km).

Additionally, as each runner participates in the event by running 1 mile (1.6 km), $30,000 is donated to local charity partners, making this race a way to contribute to society through running.

This year, 55 teams with 550 participants took part in the event. SUNNY SIDE UP formed a team consisting of carefully selected running enthusiasts and entered the mixed division (which requires at least one male and four females).

▼Here’s the report from our members. (Article in Japanese)
5大会連続出場！「Bloomberg Square Mile Relay Tokyo」2024年は気合を入れて1週間前にガチな練習会を実施＆オリジナルTシャツも作成しました

▼You can find the past report here. (Article in Japanese)
サニーサイドアップランニング部が満を持してエントリー！「ブルームバーグ スクエア・マイル・リレー 東京」出場レポート

The usual stylish Marunouchi transformed into a lively race venue, filled with excitement.

As we entered the venue, the first-year members, who were participating for the first time, seemed a bit quieter… lol

However, seeing our seniors enjoying their warm-up exercises helped ease our nerves!

As the start time approached, the venue buzzed with energy, and our members felt a mix of nervousness and excitement!

Wearing our original running team T-shirts, we united as a team, forming a circle and chanting, “Sunny Side~~~” followed by “U~~~p!!!” It was time for the main event!

The runners took off with such a strong start that they quickly disappeared from sight!

The senior who ran the first lap was completely exhausted and couldn’t stand up…haha. Meanwhile, the race continued on!

Thanks to smooth baton exchanges, we reached 1st place in the MIX category at the halfway point! Feeling a bit of pressure, the baton was passed from one new graduate to another!

With the unusual atmosphere and cheers from the crowd, my fellow new graduates gave it their all while running.

Great fight, everyone!

One of the third-year seniors, who joined the running club as a new graduate, displayed this refreshing running style. Their stamina is impressive!

Tomita：
There was no room for relaxation, but we ran with all our might!
The seniors, aware of the camera, truly showcased their skills as PR professionals!

SSU oversaw the overall event management and production.
After finishing the race, I was warmly welcomed by my fellow new graduates who were handling registration and other duties, and all my fatigue disappeared in an instant! Thank you, everyone!😭✨

The SSU team cheered with all their might until the end!

We celebrated with high-fives with the runners after they finished, and true to our SSU spirit, everyone enjoyed the event and made it through the race together!

On his first participation, Hisamitsu achieved the best record for the team, and he was full of adrenaline!

And the results were….

We achieved an impressive time, surpassing last year’s record, and finished 3rd in the MIX category out of 55 teams! 🥉

The smiles were abundant, and it was a fantastic team with a strong sense of unity.👏👏

＜Comments from the New Graduates＞
Saito：
The support from SSU members and the audience was incredible, making me really happy! Running full speed through Marunouchi was a unique experience that I want to do again. I still feel like I could run more, so I’d love to participate next time as well!

Tomita：
I was more tired than I expected, but I felt a sense of achievement like never before! Unlike my colleague Saito, I don’t plan to participate next year lol. However, I had a meaningful and fun time, including the day of the event and our practices. Thank you for all the support!

Hisamitsu：
Participating as an athlete made me realize the wonderful way sports can connect people! It was great to run alongside seniors and to engage across generations and departments. I had a lot of fun!

The fun times flew by quickly.
SSU is kicking off a new start with new members. 
Look forward to more “fun buzz” ahead!